Sponges and abrasive surfaces such as absorbent foams, brushes, sponges of various sizes and shapes, scouring pads, cooper wool, steel wool, and washcloths have been used for many years as cleaning utensils. One common problem with such cleaning devices is that most are designed safely and effectively to clean only specific type surfaces. For example, steel wool can be used to clean pots and pans, but not more delicate surfaces such as china plates. This is a problem as one must switch between scrubbing surfaces while cleaning items or surfaces which vary in their ability to resist damage from scrubbing. It also leads to a proliferation of cleaning devices.
Many of these cleaning implements offer one or two types of scrubbing surfaces suitable only for scrubbing selective items. Devices such as "O-Cello-O" Sponges, "Scotch Brite" scouring pads, and the scrubbers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. D273,336, 2,255,497, 2,778,044, 2,941,225, 4,159,883, 4,856,134, 4,970,750, and 5,408,718, as examples, are restricted use on a limited number of kinds of surfaces. Other scrubbers, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,581,447, 362,896, 4,159,883, lack the flexibility of scrubber removability and they also lack an ergonomic gripping shape.
The inventions described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,581,447, 3,629,896, 415,883, 4,199,835, 4,510,641, 4,665,580, 4,856,134, 4,949,417, 4,974,763, 5,140,785, 5,187,830, 5,331,705, 5,408,717, 5,548,862, and 5,569,521, as further examples of multi-faced cleaning utensils which offer more than one or two scrubbing surfaces, do not provide a comfortable grip, nor do they allow the user to forcibly control pressure at selective regions. They also make no provision for cleaning in cramped spaces. The above mentioned patents also do not have an integrated framework or skeleton which helps to maintain the structural integrity and size of the device and its corners when cleaning in such spaces or when cleaning a surface which requires a large amount of pressure.
Cleaning devices such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. D273,336, 2,941,225, 2,778,044, 419,935, 4,856,134, and 5,140,785, furthermore, while containing inner cavities or passageways for detergent or other cleansing agents, do not have an ergonomic design of gripping shape.
In accordance with the present invention, a more universal multiple scrubbing surface cleaning utensil is provided that, while having many of the desirable features of various versions of the different prior art devices above-referenced, provides a novel synergy of shape and scrubbers, that obviates the several limitations and disadvantages above-described.